Decorative wall covering



Sept. 18, 1962 P. R. O'BRIEN 3,054,223

DECORATIVE WALL COVERING Filed Aug. 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ill/l); 36 1 l8 Q6 9 I (3 20 -34 INVENTOR.

2 3 I 3/ 20 PHIL/P R. 0 BR/EN Sept. 18, 1962 P. R. OBRIEN DECORATIVE WALL COVERING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1958 FIG. 7

"v m m a h w M K a "A States This invention relates to improved wall coverings and particularly to improved plastic random planking.

This invention is directed to the general type of decorative plastic random planking which is set forth in the copending patent application of Carl F. Massopust, Serial No. 676,159, filed August 5, 1957, now abandoned, for Decorative Wall Covering. The wall covering of the application Serial No. 676,159 as well as the wall covering of the present invention are particularly adapted to be applied by unskilled individuals who do not have a large selection of tools at their disposal. Many of the wall coverings which have been provided heretofore to be applied by so-called amateur workmen are not satisfactory in use and do not give a satisfactory appearance when installed.

The wall covering set forth in the application, Serial No. 676,159 referred to above, has been found generally satisfactory in use and has gained wide acceptance in the trade. The present invention, however, offers certain important advantages and improvements over the random planking of the prior application. It was found in use that a substantial amount of adhesive or mastic was required to apply random planking of the prior application to an underlying support wall. The cost of this amount of mastic is substantial and there is an additional expense in the cost of the labor to apply the mastic. The random plankingis often used in substantial lengths of the order of 6 to feet or longer and and handling has sometimes been diflicult due to the flexibility of the plankmg.

Accordingly, it is an important object of th present invention to provide an improved random planking formed of plastic and particularly an improved random planking.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plastic Wall covering which requires substantially smaller amounts of adhesive to obtain satisfactory mounting thereof on a support wall as compared with prior plastic random planking.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a random planking which is reinforced whereby to add body and stiffness thereto and still retain the ability to bridge gaps and irregularities in the underlying support wall.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a random planking of the type set forth which has improved strength in compression.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a random planking of the type set forth which has improved sound deadening and heat insulating properties.

A further object of the invention is to provide-in random planking of the type set forth an improved joint for interconnecting adjacent sections of random plankmg.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings wherein like reference numerals have been utilized to designate like parts throughout:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a wall covering plank made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view in cross-section with certain portions broken away through the plank of FIG- ate 3,054,223 Patented Sept. 18, 1962 URE l substantially as seen in the direction of the arrows along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 6;

LFIGURE 3 is a view in vertical section similar to FIG- URE 2. but viewed in the direction of the arrows along the line '33 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 and illustrating a wall covering plank particularly useful in joining adjacent wall covering planks;

FIGURE 5 is a view in vertical section similar to FIG- URE 3 and illustrating a wall covering plank particularly useful for application in the corners of an installation;

FIGURE 6 is a view in longitudinal, vertical section through the plank of FIGURE 2 substantially as seen in the direction of the arrows along the line 6-6 thereof, FIGURE 6 being on a slightly reduced scale;

FIGURE 7 is a view in horizontal section through a typical installation of the wall covering planks of FIG- URES 1 through 6 of the drawings;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view in section illustrating the improved joint of the present invention between adjacent wall covering planks; and

FIGURE 9 is a view in cross-section of the assembly of FIGURE 8 substantially as seen in the direction of the arrows along the line 9-9 thereof.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the invention has been illustrated as applied to randomplanking and will be so described. It is to be understood, however, that the principles of the invention can be incorporated in other shapes and forms and that the specific form shown in the drawings is only for purposes of illustration.

There is shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings a wall covering plank, generally designated by the numeral 10, made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention. The plank 10 comprises a substantially rectangular shaped body 12 having formed integral therewith on one edge a downturned flange 14 and having formed on the other edge thereof a channel generally designated by the numeral 16 and adapted to cooperate and receive therein a flange, like the flange 14. The flange 14 and the channel 16 extend the entire length of the body 1-2 and are adapted to cooperate with members on the adjacent planks in an installation.

Referring more specifically to FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the flange 14 is curved out of the plane of the body 12 and terminates in a rounded point 18 disposed rearwardly from the upper or outer surface of the body 12. The channel 16 includes a first flange 20 formed integral with the body 12 and disposed at an obtuse angle therewith and extending therefrom in the same direction as the flange 14. Extending laterally outwardly from the inner edge of the first flange 20 is a short flange 22 which is disposed parallel to the plane of the body 12 but spaced therefrom. An upturned and an gularly disposed flange 24 is formed integral on the outer edge of the flange 2.2 and in turn has formed integral therewith an outwardly extending flange 26. The flange 26 also is disposed parallel to the plane of the body 12 and of the short flange 22 but is disposed intermediate therebetween. The flanges 20, 22 and 24 together define a substantially U-shaped trough 28 which is adapted to receive the rounded end 18 of the flange 14 as is best illustrated in FIGURE 8 of the drawings. When the flange 14 has the rounded end 18 thereof disposed in the trough 28, the flange 2.6 underlies and serves to provide support for the portion of the body 12 immediately ad jacent to the flange 14. A spacing protuberance or projection 30 which is bead-like in form extends the length of the plank 10 on the outer edge of the flange 26 and bears against the rear side of the body 12 of the adjacent plank in an installation whereby to give support thereto.

As will be explained more fully hereinafter, this provides for a dead air space that improves the sound deadening and thermal-insulating properties of the completed insulation.

If the body 12 together with the flange 14 and the channel 16 thereon were used to form a wall covering assembly, a substantial quantity of mastic would be required in order to fill the space between the support wall and the rear of the planks as can be appreciated from FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings. In order to minimize the amount of mastic required and also to improve the structural characteristics of the planks 10, a spacer member or tiller generally designated by the numeral 32 has been provided on the rear side of the plank 10, i.e., the side which will be hidden when the planks are installed. Many different forms of fillers 32 may be used; the filler 32 illustrated in the drawings is one preferred form and is a sheet of plastic provided with transversely extending U-shaped members or corrugations extending transversely thereacross at spaced apart intervals. More specifically, the filler member 32 comprises a body 34 having a plurality of U-shaped corrugations 36 extending transversely thereacross. The corrugations 36 are disposed toward the rear side of the body 12 and are suitably secured thereto along the entire length thereof as at 38 (see FIGURES 6 and 9). Any suitable method may be used to adhere the tiller 32 to the body 12 such as gluing, welding and the like. One of the longitudinally extending edges of the filler 32 is disposed a short distance away from the flange (see FIGURES 2, 3 and 8) and the other longitudinally extending side of the filler 32 is disposed a substantial distance away from the flange 14, the distance being such as to accommodate the outwardly extending support flange 26 on an adjacent and cooperating plank 10 as is best seen in FIG- URE 8 of the drawings.

vIn one preferred form of the invention, the planks 10 are formed of plastic material and particularly synthetic organic plastic materials. The body 12 of the plank 10 may also preferably be comprised of two or more layers of plastic whereby to combine a pleasing and esthetic appearance with good mechanical and structural properties. For example, the body 12 can be formed of a sheet generally designated by the numeral 4t} which is formed of plastic and may be shaped by extruding, pressing or other suitable forming processes whereby to produce the size and shape of planks desired. Any suitable plastic having the necessary mechanical properties can be utilized to form the base sheet 40, a particularly preferred plastic being polystyrene plastic. It usually is desirable to apply a decorative overlay sheet 42 to the base sheet 40 to enhance the appearance of the plank 10. Often it is desirable to apply the decorative overlay sheet 42 to the base sheet 40 while the base sheet 40. is in the flat condition and thereafter to mold the composite sheet into the shape illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. Any desired decorative design can be provided on the decorative overlay sheet 44. In general any material which can be photographed and reproduced by photographic methods can be successfully applied as a design, to such a decorative overlay sheet 42. Accordingly, a wide range of decorative effects can be achieved by using the planks 10. For convenience in use and fabrication, the overlay sheet 42 extends from the projection across the base sheet to the edge of the flange 14 whereby to provide a continuous design in the assembled wall.

The filler 32 may be fOrmed of any material which is compressible and/or flexible whereby to conform to and bridge protrusions and irregularities in an underlying support wall. In general any flexible synthetic organic plastic shaped as indicated in FIGURES 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings may be utilized to form the fillers 32. A preferred synthetic organic plastic is high impact polystyrene plastic. Preferably the thickness of the plastic in the filler 32 is substantially less than the thickness of the base sheet 40 when these members are formed of the same plastic as illustrated above. It is further contempiated, however, that the filler 32 may be formed of cardboard, hard board, paper and the like, as well as synthetic organic plastics. Instead of U-shaped corrugations 36, other forms of spacing device may be used. The surface of the body 34 may be wattled whereby to provide a plurality of interconnecting and intersecting corrugations thereon. The corrugations 36 may be disposed at an angle with respect to the edges of the plank 1%) or could extend longitudinally thereof. Improved sound deadening and heat insulating characteristics are obtained, however, if the U-shaped corrugations 36 are disposed transversely of the plank 10, i.e., across the width thereof, since ordinarily the width of the planking will be less than the length thereof. Accordingly, the axes of the corrugations 36 are disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal edges of the plank 10 and to the flange 14 and the channel 16. In place of the spacing methods discussed above, the body 34 may have ribs or Other projections formed thereon instead of having the U- shaped convolutions or corrugations 36 therein.

As can be seen from FIGURE 7 of the drawings, a typical installation of the planks 10 will require special shapes to provide a suitable covering on both inside and outside corners. Two such illustrative special shapes are shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings. Referring to FIGURE 4, there is shown a plank generally designated by the numeral 44 which is particularly useful in joining adjacent planks 10 which have the flange 14 thereof juxtaposed instead of having a flange 14 and a channel 16 of adjacent planks juxtaposed. The plank 44 may be formed of the same materials and in the same manner as plank 10 and includes a narrow body 46 having formed on the longitudinally extending edges thereof a pair of channels 48. The channels 48 are formed in the same manner as is the channel 16 on the plank 10 and include more particularly outwardly extending flanges 50 and the U-shaped flange receiving trough 52. A short section of the filler 32 is provided on the rear side of the body 46 for the same reason as the filler 32 was applied to the rear of the plank 10. The plank 48 is illustrated as being made from the same material as the plank 10 and having both a plastic base sheet and a decorative overlay sheet. It is to be understood that the plank 44 can be made in other ways as has been explained above with respect to the plank 10.

In FIGURE 5 is illustrated a form of a plank generally designated by the numeral 54 which is particularly useful in fitting corners. The plank 54 is made substantially like plank 10 but has a narrow body portion 12. Accordingly, the same reference numerals have been utilized to designate like parts in plank 54.

Another form of plank 56 is also useful in those cases in which a pair of channels 16 is juxtaposed on adjacent planks 10 whereby to make the usual overlapping connection between adjacent planks impossible. In such cases it is desirable to have a plank such as the plank 56 illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE 7 of the drawings, the plank 56 including a body 58 having a flange 60 formed on each of the longitudinally extending edges thereof. The flanges 60 are formed in the same manner as the flange 14 described above. The plank 56 is therefore adapted to cooperate with and bridge the gap between a pair of planks such as the planks 10 and 44 which are oriented with the channels 16 and 48 thereof juxtaposed. The body 58 is provided intermediate the flanges 60 with a narrow filler 32 for the same reasons that the filler 32 has been applied above to planks 10 44 and 54.

There is shown in FIGURE 7 the manner in which the planks 10, 44, 54 and 58 of the present invention can be assembled to provide a covering for a wall such as the wall 62. A suitable adhesive 64 is applied to the rear side of the planks whereby firmly to secure the planks to the support wall 62. Referring more specifically to FIGURE 8 of the drawings, it will be seen that the adhesive 64 is applied to the planks, such as the plank 10, over the surface thereof on which is disposed the filler 32. The space between the plank and support wall 62 is substantially filled with the mastic 64. The presence of the filler 32 substantially reduces the amount of mastic required since the rearmost surface of the body 34 is disposed only a short distance from the wall 62. This is achieved by spacing the rearmost surface of the body 34 only a short distance from the plane defined by the flanges 22 on the plank 10.

A particularly clean joint 1s provided since the projection 34 contacts the body 12 only a short distance from the adjacent edge of the filler 32. No mastic, therefore, is applied to the outer surface of the flange 26 or in the vicinity of the outer surface of the channel 16. More particularly, as is seen in FIGURE 8, a space 66 is formed which has no mastic in it, the space 66 extending all the way to the rounded end 18 of the adjacent flange 14. Accordingly, there is no mastic to be scraped away from the outer surface of the planks after installation and there is no marring of the decorative effect of the planks by undesired mastic thereon.

With the mastic 64 distributed as illustrated in FIG- URES 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings, closed chambers over considerable areas are formed between the body 34 of the filler 32 and the body 12. The extent of these areas reduce the weight of the final covering and also save on the amount of mastic needed, as is explained above. In addition these voids or chambers serve in conjunction with the plastic bodies around it to serve as a sound deadening device. These voids also serve a heat insulation function. By disposing the corrugations 36 transversely of the length of the planks, each void is relatively small in volume, whereby to break up circulation of convection currents and thereby to improve the heat insulating properties of the finished structure.

The joint formed by the flange 14 and the channels 16 on the plank 10 and the corresponding members of the planks 44, 54 and 56 is more satisfactory than those heretofore formed. As has been explained above, the mastic 64 is kept away from the exposed surface. Nonetheless all the parts are firmly supported and the flange 14 is held firmly in the trough 28. A suitable seal is provided between the adjacent edges at the outer edge of the flange 26 and the adjacent portion of the body 12 as may be best seen in FIGURE 8 of the drawings.

The length of the plank 10 may be several feet and preferably it is equal to or slightly greater than the height or the width of a wall to be covered. The plank may be, for example, 8, 10 or 12 feet long, as may be required. In certain installations it is desirable to provide the planks in different widths such as 4 inches, 6 inches and 10 inches, whereby to provide a so-called random plank surface on the finished wall.

As has been noted above the filler 32 is suitably secured to the rear side of the body 12 by a suitable adhesive or by a weld. When both the filler 32 and the body are formed of plastic such as polystyrene plastic as described above, these parts may be conveniently joined by means of solvent weld by applying an appropriate solvent to the corrugations 36 and contacting the body 12 therewith. The corrugations 36 may be, for example, spaced /2 inch apart and have a radius or height of 0.05 inch.

When the plank 10 is formed with the body 40 of modified polystyrene on which is adhered a polystyrene decorative overlay sheet, the body 12 may have a thickness including the base sheet and overlay sheet of, for example, 0.035 inch. The thickness of the material forming the filler 32 may be 0.020 inch and the overall thickness thereof from the outer edge of the corrugations 36 to the opposite surface of the body 34 may be 0.070 inch. The composite overall thickness from the plane defined by the surface of the flanges 22 to the surface of the overlay sheet 42 may be 0.125 inch. In such a plank 10, the filler 32 will be sufficiently flexible so as to bridge any irregularities in the surface of the wall to which the plank 10 is affixed. Nonetheless, the plank 10 will have substantial mechanical strength and rigidity to facilitate handling. Such a plank can also be readily cut by common tools such as ordinary scissors so that it can be fitted and installed by unskilled workmen utilizing tools readily available. 7

It is also contemplated that the heat insulating properties of the plank 10 can be improved by forming the filler 32 as a sandwich construction including a sheet of heat reflecting metal, foil or a metallized plastic surface.

The installation illustrated in FIGURES 7 to 9 of the drawings can be readily applied to an underlying support surface or wall 62 formed of a variety of materials. The underlying surface may be, for example, a masonry surface such as concrete, bricks or cement blocks. In such cases it is highly desirable to be able to cover and thereby to eliminate the irregularities in the wall surface. This is accomplished by the fact that the filler 32 has the rearmost surface thereof spaced from the plank defined by the flanges 22. Furthermore, the body 34 of the tiller 32 is flexible whereby to be deformable out of the plane thereof to cover irregularities such as protrusions, nail heads and the like.

Instead of a masonry support wall, a wooden wall having nail holes and nail heads therein may provide the support surface. In these cases also any irregularities in the surface will be hidden by the planks of this invention.

Because of the materials of construction of the planks, and because of the mastics that can be used in installing the planks, wall coverings made according to the present invention can be used for paneling basements, recreation rooms in basements, shower stalls, exterior walls and the like, where high humidity conditions or even water are encountered. The wall covering will not be adversely affected under such conditions.

It will be seen that there has been provided plastic wall planks which fulfill all of the objects and advantages set forth above. Although certain preferred examples of the invention have been shown in the drawings and described for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only as set forth in the following claim.

What is claimed is:

An elongated wall covering plank comprising a body formed of synthetic organic thermoplastic sheet material and whose length is much greater than its width, a first flange formed integral on one longitudinally extending edge of said body and projecting out of the plane thereof rearwardly of said body, a flange receiving channel formed integral and projecting to the rear on the other longitudinally extending edge of said body and adapted to receive the corresponding first flange of an adjacent plank therein, a second flange formed integral on the edge of said channel and extending outwardly therefrom in a direction away from said body and lying in a plane disposed between the plane of said body and 65 the plane of the portion of said channel disposed rearmost of said body, said second flange being adapted to underlie an adjacent plank and including a spacing projection on the remote edge thereof extending continuously longitudinally of said body and projecting forwardly thereof to contact and support the underneath surface of an adjacent plank, and a filler formed of syn thetic organic thermoplastic sheet material bonded to said body and covering a substantial portion of the area of said body between said channel and said first flange,

said filler being a corrugated structure spaced forward of the plane of the rearmost surface of said channel and the rearmost surface of the channel of an adjacent plank, and the corrugations of said filler having their longitudinal axes extending transversely of said body whereby said corrugations interpose a plurality of voids between themselves and said portion of the area of said body, said filler serving as a barrier between the rearmost surface thereof and said voids to preclude mastic from filling said voids while said rearmost surface of said filler sheet supports mastic securing said plank to a supporting wall, a longitudinal edge of said filler being spaced laterally from said first flange thereby providing a space between said longitudinal edge and said first flange whereby said space is adapted to receive the second flange of an adjacent like plank in underlying and sup-.

porting relation to said plank, and said sheet material of said body and of said filler each being of thin gauge so References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,473,275 Burgett Nov. 6, 1923 2,323,417 Pauli July 6, 1943 2,351,615 James June 20, 1944 2,794,756 Leverenz June 4, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,595 Great Britain July 29, 1893 14,064 Great Britain June 9, 1897 458,297 Italy July 4, 1950 655,143 Great Britain 1951 498,520 Italy Sept. 30, 1954 

